burning elephant calf and its mother ; the story behind

The photo was taken by hobby photographer Biplap Hazra. It shows a baby elephant calf and its mother, lit on fire by an angry mob in West Bengal. The two majestic creatures are attempting to flee the scene, the baby’s face exhibiting the telltale signs of horror and pain.

India, as a whole, houses at least half of the world’s Asian elephant population, according to National Geographic. These beautiful creatures are considered to be endangered— mainly as a result of humans destroying and/or fragmenting their natural habitat.

For example, National Geographic reports that in India, 80% of the elephants’ natural traveling paths have been disturbed by human settlements.

The forests of West Bengal are littered with tea houses and human settlements, and with humans and elephants living so close together, things have become dangerous for both groups. For example, the Times of India (via National Geographic) reported that 18 people in West Bengal were killed by elephants within the first 9 months of 2015; elephants, for their part, often also die of electrocution from bumping into the many displays of electric wiring.

This photo, submitted to the same contest as Hazra’s, also shows the disturbing interactions between the elephant and human societies of West Bengal.

India, as a whole, houses at least half of the world’s Asian elephant population, according to National Geographic. These beautiful creatures are considered to be endangered— mainly as a result of humans destroying and/or fragmenting their natural habitat.

For example, National Geographic reports that in India, 80% of the elephants’ natural traveling paths have been disturbed by human settlements.

This photo, submitted to the same contest as Hazra’s, also shows the disturbing interactions between the elephant and human societies of West Bengal.

Photographer Locha Deb explains that this railway, the Buxa Tiger Reserve railway, has caused over 60 wild elephant deaths in the past decade. Deb’s photo received an honorable mention in the Sanctuary Wildlife Photography Awards (the same competition in which Hazra won first place).